By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 13: Senator Abun Sui Anyit has raised concerns over reports that scam syndicates are increasingly targeting rural communities by exploiting their lack of awareness and difficult living conditions to facilitate online fraud and money laundering.
No longer operating only through social media or in urban areas, he said that scammers’ modus operandi involves offering villagers money to open bank accounts or Touch ‘n Go e-wallet accounts in their own names.
“Many accept these offers without realising that their accounts will be used to facilitate criminal activities such as online scams and money laundering.
“I urge all community leaders, village chiefs, tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs), and local leaders to immediately educate residents not to open bank accounts or e-wallet accounts on behalf of others simply because they are promised financial rewards,” he said in a Facebook post.
He cited reports received on members of the Penan community who have fallen victim to these syndicates, as many do not fully understand the consequences of their actions due to limited access to education and technology.
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Hulu Rajang branch chief said that in the end, they were the ones arrested by the police, charged in court, and required to post bail of up to RM10,000.
“For families living in poverty, such an amount is simply beyond their means. As a result, they are forced to remain in custody while awaiting trial, even though they have young children at home who depend on them for their livelihood,” he said.
Abun urged the police and prosecution to thoroughly investigate each case, saying a suspect’s background, level of education, financial circumstances, and whether they had been exploited by scam syndicates should be carefully considered before charges are filed.
“The enforcement of the law must be firm against crime, but it must also be fair to those who are genuinely victims. Bring the masterminds behind the syndicates to justice—not the victims they have deceived,” he said.
He also urged the government, financial institutions, and relevant agencies to intensify public awareness campaigns in rural and remote areas, including in local languages, so that these communities do not continue to be easy targets for scam syndicates. — DayakDaily
